The present invention relates generally to methods and systems for obtaining a musical score from a musical recording and, more particularly, to a method and system for creating computer files from a digital musical recording.
Musical Instrument Digital Interface, MIDI, is a digital communication protocol, which allows interworking between musical instruments by providing a link which is capable of transmitting and receiving digital data or instructions for creating music. The MIDI specification includes a common language that provides information about events, such as turning on and off notes, expresses the velocity of each note, and provides the timing relationships of all MIDI notes and events. A standard MIDI file is used to transfer MIDI information from a musical instrument to another device. Generally, a MIDI sequencer file is transferred to a standard MIDI file which, in turn, gets interpreted by a notation program.
MIDI sequences typically allow the user to input data in two ways: (1) real time recording, where incoming data is recorded as the performer plays on an instrument having a MIDI controller; and (2) step time recording, which allows the performer to input notes of events one step at a time from the controller, or using a computer keyboard or mouse. A notation program allows the user to create a full score of a composition and to extract individual parts with transposition for individual instruments. However, in order for the user to print out a musical score of a composition, the performer must input the musical notes using a musical instrument which includes the MIDI controller or the MIDI port.
Accordingly, a process which enables the user to obtain a musical score of a composition without requiring a musical instrument with the MIDI controller is desirable. Such a process preferably would generate a standard MIDI file from a digital recording and would not require a musical instrument having the MIDI controller.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method and system for obtaining a musical score from a musical recording. In another embodiment, the present invention also provides a method and system for creating an editable music file from a musical recording, such that a user may modify the musical recording and obtain a musical score from the modified musical recording. An exemplary method comprises any two or more of the steps: (1) storing a digital musical recording as a wave file; (2) generating a pseudo wave file for each octave segment of interest from the wave file; (3) generating a half-tone or other sequence file for each of the pseudo wave files; (4) generating a list of events from the sequence file; (5) converting the list of events from the sequence file into a MIDI file or other notation program readable file that can be imported into a notation program; and, (6) importing the MIDI or other file into the notation program in order to print the musical score.
The computer files which may be configured as a standard MIDI file, may be read by a notation program or a MIDI sequencer program to allow a user to create a full score of a composition or to extract the individual parts. The user is no longer required to use a musical instrument with a MIDI port, or the like, to obtain a musical score of a composition.
In an exemplary embodiment, the list of events generated from the sequence file is configured as a standard MIDI file with a song header, a track header, and a series of note events, by sorting the events by time, rather than by tone, and observing MIDI conventions. The standard MIDI file may be read by another notation program or a MIDI sequencer program. According to other exemplary embodiments, any of various conventional notation program readable files other than MIDI may be used.
In another exemplary embodiment, the list of events may be used as an editable file where a user can edit or modify the musical recording from its original form prior to converting the an event list to a notation program readable file such as MIDI. After the modification, the file is configured as a standard MIDI or other notation program readable file as described above. The standard MIDI file may be read by another notation program or a MIDI sequencer program. A user may use this exemplary embodiment to create a full score of a composition or to simply extract individual parts of a musical piece.